Mosquito canopy.



Patented Sept. 23, 1902.

m, E. WEBBER. MUSOUITU CANOPY.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITE STATES MOSQUITO=CANOPY.

$3?ECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,528, datedSeptember 23, 1902.

Application filed December 19,1901- Serial No. 86,586. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY ELIZABETH WEB- BER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Collier-ville, in the county of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented a new and useful Mosquito-Canopy, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in portable screens or canopies.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective devicefor opening and closing the canopy and for supporting it in openposition.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of acanopy having this improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents aperspective view of the canopy-supporting device detached from thecanopy and showing the ribs broken off. Fig. 3 represents a bottom planview of said device. Fig. 4 represents a transverse vertical section ofthe device, taken when in closed position. Fig. 5 represents an enlargeddetail showing the folding joint in one of the ribs.

The same reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The drawings show a supporting device for a canopy, which may be used inconnection with a fly-screen, a mosquito-bar, which may be eithersuspended ordropped down over the article to be protected, or it may beapplied to a canopy or shade for a baby-carriage. clamping hub memberpreferably composed of a bottom plate and a top plate 15. The bottomplate 10 has an upwardly-extending integral stud 11 and a groove 12 onthe inner face thereof near its outer edge. This plate 10 is alsoprovided with a plurality of peripheral notches for receiving the partshere inafter to be described. The top clampingplate 15 is made of ashape to correspond with the bottom plate 10 and has a central aperture16 therein, which is adapted to fit down over the stud 11, and the twoplates are clamped together by flattening the outer projecting end ofthe stud 11. This plate 15 is provided on its inner face near the outeredge thereof with a groove 17 and with a plurality of peripheralnotches. When the two plates 10 and 15 are disposed in clamping Thissupporting device comprises a.

position one over the other, the grooves and notches therein registerand form bearings for the parts hereinafter described. The clamp memberis provided at diametrically opposite points with peripheral sockets 13and 19 on one side and 20 and 21 on the other side, which are adapted toreceive the angular terminals of the stirrup-levers, hereinafterdescribed. The plate 10 is provided with outwardly-extending lugs 22 and23, which project between the sockets 18 and 19 and 20 and 21,respectively, and form bearing edges for the stirrup-levers. Fournotches, as 22", are disposed at the four corners of the clamp, and ineach notch, clamped between the plates 10 and 15, are transverse rods,as 23, preferably made of heavy wire for receiving the eyes of the ribswhich hold the canopy in ex tended position and which will be described.This clamp is also provided at diametrically opposite points between thenotches, as 22*, with notches 24 and 25 for receiving the L- shapedlevers, hereinafter described. Two stirrup-levers and are lnovablyattached to the clamp by inserting their angular terminals 31 and 32 and41 and 42 in the sockets l8 and 19 and 20 and 21, respectively. Thelevers 30 and 40 are of the same construction, so one only will bedescribed in detail. The lever 30 has the opposite sides thereofconnected by a transverse rod 33, which is bent downwardly at itsopposite ends and upwardly at its center, forming rests 34. and 35 forthe supporting-ribs. The rod 33 is connected at its upwardly-curvedcenter to the end of the lever 30 by a concavo-convex plate 36, whichforms a bearing-surface for the short end of the L-shaped lever. Thelever 10 is provided with corresponding parts and has a similarbearing-surface formed for the short end of the other L-shaped lever.

Two operating and lockin g L-shaped levers and are pivotally attached tothe clamp, as will be presently described. These levers 50 and 60 areprovided at their upper outer ends with eyes 51 and 61, and the lever 50has a book 52 extending transversely therefrom and adapted to engage theeye 61 of the lever 60 to hold the supporting device in open position.These L-shaped lovers are provided at their lower ends withdownwardly-project ing lugs or heels 53 and 63, having angular studs, as54 and 64:, projecting from the opposite sides thereof. 'Theseoppositely-disposed studs are adapted to fit in the grooves in the clampand form pivots on which the L- shaped levers swing. The short arms andof these levers are adapted to engage the curved faces or sockets of theconoavo-convex plates 36 and 46 of the stirruplevers 30 and 40, and bydrawing the outer end of the L-shaped levers upward the stirrup-leversare forced open into approximately horizontal position.

The pivotal axes of the L-shaped operatinglevers are farther from thecenter of the hub member than are the pivotal axes of thestirrup-levers, as will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 of thedrawings. I-Ience as the stirrup-levers are turned upwardly and outwardyby the operating-levers the arms of the latter act as cams and are slidoutwardly un der the stirrup-levers,therebyincreasingtheir leverage onthe ribs as the latter are raised. Said operating-levers are furtherprovided with stop-shoulders X near their pivots, as shown in Fig. 4,which stop-shoulders engage the hub member when the operating-levers areturned upwardly and locked together, thereby effecting rigid connectionsbetween the operating-levers and the hub member to prevent the canopyfrom wabbling or sagging to one side.

Theframe is preferably composed of four jointed ribs 70, 80, 90, and100, provided at their inner ends with eyes 71, 81, 91, and 101,respectively. .These eyes are disposed in the notches, as 22", andengage the transverse rods, as'23 therein. These ribs radiate from theclamp and rest on and are supported by the down-bent ends of the rods 33and 43 and by the corners of the stirrup-levers. These ribs arepreferably formed about midway their length with a hinge-joint, as 72,and the lower member is provided with an eye, as

73, for receiving a suitable cord or wire for holding the fabric inextended position.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with a hub member, radial ribshaving their inner ends pivotally connected thereto, stirrup-leverspivotally connected to said hub member and adapted to swing outwardlyand upwardly under the ribs, to extend the ribs radially and supportthem, and operating-levers pivotally connected to the hub member, havingarms projecting outwardly therefrom to engage the under sides of saidstirrup-levers, extend the same radially and support the same in saidposition, and having stop-shoulders to bear on the hub member,substantially as described.

2. In combination with a hub member, radial ribs having their inner endspivotally connected thereto, stirruplevers pivotally connected to saidhub member and adapted to swing outward and upwardly under the ribs, toextend the ribs radially and support them, operating-levers pivotallyconnected to the hub member, having arms projecting outwardly therefromto engage the under sides of said stirrup-levers, extend the sameradially and support the same in said position, having eyes attheirouter ends to overlap each other and one having a hook to engagethe eye of the other and lock said levers with the stirrup-levers andribs in extended position, and being further provided withstopshoulders, to bear on the hub member, for the purpose set forth,substantially as described.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, MARY ELIZABETH WVEBBER.

Witnesses:

J. A. BECK, W. L. HALL.

